We all hope for a free upgrade when we travel and while this was more common in days gone by, there are still a few ways that we can clinch those illustrious business-class seats. According to moneysavingexpert.com, a fifth of travelers have been provided with an upgrade over the last two years, but just how do you make sure your chances are better than the person behind you?
Be a Loyal Customer
If you’re spending more money with a particular airline and you’re a frequent traveller with them, this is one of the ways you’ll get upgraded. If airlines have oversold standard tickets, many of them will run through the remaining passenger list to find out who is a frequent flyer with them and they’ll choose them for the upgrade. It’s always checking to see if you can exchange your air miles for an upgrade too.
Check-in Early or Late
Most airlines will know if they need to rejig their passenger seating quite a few hours before the flight, so they may be offering passengers cheaper upgrades on a first-come- first service basis.
Equally, if they get more passengers than they’d originally allowed for, late check-ins may work in your favour as they have to upgrade passengers to accommodate the increased numbers.
Be Bold and Just Ask
If you’re feeling particularly confident or you know you’ve got the “gift of the gab,” why not come right out and ask the person at the check-in desk if you can have an upgrade? With so many people choosing to check-in online, if gives you more chance to strike up a conversation as fewer people will be asking for upgrades.
Equally, if there are any delays to your flight, you have rights under EU Regulation 261/2004, so if you do experience delays, don’t forget to find out what you’re entitled to by using a flight compensation calculator and check the guides, such as those available at Bott & Co.
You should also try mentioning the fact it’s your birthday, a large anniversary or your honeymoon, but only if it actually is. There’ll have been many fake attempts over the years, so the check-in team will have heard them all.
Fly When Commuters Aren’t
As mentioned previously, frequent fliers or those with air miles are more likely to get upgrades, so give yourself a fighting chance by avoiding flights that are during commuting hours. Ideal times are at the weekend, midweek, midday or late at night. Early mornings and late afternoons are a definite no-no.
Switch Flights
This is obviously quite an extreme solution for trying to get an upgrade but if you can afford to take a different flight if yours is overbooked, the airline may gratefully reward you with an upgraded ticket. They’ll be thankful you haven’t created a scene and will show this by providing you with all of the luxuries you hoped for.
And if all else fails there’s nothing like a bit of bribery to get you on your way. Got a suitcase that’s over the baggage allowance limit? Why not take out the bottle of expensive champagne and offer it to the person behind the check-in desk in return for your upgrade? Well, there’s no harm in trying.
Brian Flint often travels for business in first class. The company pays for it but this has left Brian yearning for first class when traveling for leisure purposes too. He has found some tricks so he is able to do this without breaking the bank.
